Merchandise scanners have been proposed in which all merchandise, goods or objects are placed on the conveyor and guided past a scanning window for scanning so that the bar code can be scanned by a scanning element. However this procedure is problematic, particularly with regard to bulky and/or heavy objects which must be lifted by the user, i.e. the cashier or the customer onto the conveyor. Depending on the weight of the object, this procedure requires a great amount of strength and can cause internal injuries to the user. Certain groups of users may not even be able to lift certain objects onto the conveyor.